Head of Eastside Catholic quits: ‘Necessary decision’

The continuing, month-long controversy swirling around the ouster of a newly married gay vice principal of Eastside Catholic High School has claimed a major casualty.

Sister Mary Tracy has submitted her resignation as president and head of school at Eastside Catholic, effective immediately.

“Sr. Mary came to this decision after much prayer and reflection. For Sr. Mary it was a difficult but necessary decision so that a new leader can be brought in to ensure the entire Eastside Catholic community is moving forward on a positive path,” said a statement from Brad Bastian and Tom Padilla, acting chairs of the school’s board of trustees.

“The board has accepted her resignation, which is effective immediately. We thank Sr. Mary for her many contributions to Eastside Catholic.”

The resignation came on a day that Seattle’s Catholic Archbishop J. Peter Sartain was celebrating mass at the annual March for Life anti-abortion rally in Olympia.

The Seattle archdiocese clearly saddled Sr. Mary Tracy with responsibility for the forced resignation of Eastside vice principal Mark Zmuda, after Zmuda disclosed that he had married his partner this past summer.

Archbishop J. Peter Sartain

“The archdiocese supports the decision. The decision has been misunderstood and mischaracterized by some, and we now have the opportunity to help our students learn even more about Catholic teaching,” Sartain said in a statement earlier this month.

When Zmuda “married his same-sex partner, the school administration was left with no acceptable alternative that would allow him to remain eligible for employment at Eastside Catholic,” added Sartain’s statement.

Eastside Catholic students, noting that they represent the Church’s future, have suggested that it is the Catholic Church hierarchy that has some learning to do.

They have turned out by the hundreds to protest the ouster of “Mr. Z.” The school’s swimmers even had the name of their popular coach written on their suits during a swim meet on his last day of work in December.

A protest petition to Sartain, at the time bearing 21,000 names, was submitted to the archdiocese last Wednesday.

The petition organizers read a statement, evoking the “Who am I to judge?” spirit of Pope Francis and telling Sartain:

“The year is 2014: It’s time to stop firing teachers for being gay. Please take this bold step and help stem the firing of gay Catholic educators. Be a shining light for your colleagues in other dioceses. If you lead, they will follow.”

The petition urged the archdiocese and its school system to take a transparent and “holistic” approach when considering the fate of married gay and lesbian teachers. It urged that the community be consulted, and Jesus’ teachings in the Gospels be taken into account.

Sartain has not spoken to the Eastside Catholic students or their supporters, despite advice by some clergy that he engage in dialogue.

The archbishop explained that Zmuda was ousted not because he is gay, but because his marriage was in violation of church teachings that he was obligated to uphold by his employment contract.

The Catholic Church opposes same-sex marriage and Sartain has made his position on the issue clear.

He spoke against marriage equality at an Olympia hearing two years ago as the Legislature prepared to vote for marriage equality. The archbishop asked parishes to serve as petition collection centers for Referendum 74, which sent marriage equality to the November ballot. (Several big Seattle and Tacoma parishes refused to participate.) He posted videos urging opposition to same-sex marriage.

When voters approved marriage equality, Sartain directed that no church facilities or schools be used in conjunction with such “marriages” — the quotation marks his.

When Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, a practicing Catholic, married partner Michael Shiosaki, the couple did the ceremony at St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral.

In national polls, however, American Catholics support same-sex marriage in percentages slightly greater than the public at large.

The “Mr. Z” controversy, and its reverberations, are far from over.

The Eastside Catholic trustees announced a town hall meeting for school parents for Thursday, and indicated more meetings will be held.

A major annual fundraising event for Catholic schools — the Fulcrum Foundation Celebration of Light — comes up February 1 at the Seattle Sheraton. Orange ribbons and buttons supporting “Mr. Z” will be distributed outside.

The Eastside students have organized what they hope will be a nationwide “Zday” action on Jan. 31 in which students are urged to wear orange (Eastside’s colors) in a gesture of support. Already, students at Holy Names, Blanchet and Seattle Prep have joined in demonstrations.

Eastside Catholic has the reputation as one of the top prep schools in the Puget Sound area.